Liquid-fuel gauce



HJALMAR GORANSON, KNOWN AS HENRY JOHNSON.

LIQUID FUEL GAUGE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 26. 1920.

Patented; Mar. 2], 1922.

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INVENTOR ATTORNEY HJALRIAR GQEMQSQN', KNGW'N AS HENRY JOHNSGN, (ll? SUNNYVA Wu, CAEEIFGRNIA.

LIQUID-FUEL GAUGE.

micace.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HJALMAR GORANSON,

known as HENRY JOHNSON, a subject of the King of Sweden, and a resident of Sunnyvale, in the county of Santa Clara and State of California have invented certain new and useful improvements in Liquid-Fuel Gauges, of which the following is a specification. My invention relates particularly to an improvement in devices for indicating the quantity of liquid fuel in a vehicle reservoir.

It is the object of my invention to provide a device of the character indicated that will accurately indicate the quantity of liquid fuel in the container under any and all conditions, that is whether at rest or in motion as upon a motor propelled vehicle. A further object is to provide a device of the character indicated that will be simple inform and construction and method of operation.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a sectional view through the device and its connecting parts.

Figure 2 is a face view of the dial.

Referring more particularly to the drawk ing, 1 indicates a ortion of a gasoline tank such as is ordinarily used in motor vehicles, and 2 an opening in the bottom thereof. Inserted in opening 2 is a plug] 3 on chamber 4, the said chamber 4 having a bottom neck 5 provided with opening 6 closed by a plug 7. In neck 5 is inserted a filtering element 8 of suitable material as felt, preferabl spaced a distance from plug 7 and bevelled inwardly towards its center as indicated at 9. A tube as 10 is shown inserted in the upper portion or plug 3 of chamber 4 and communicating with the tank 1 and extending down to and terminating at the lower surface of element 8.

At 11 is shown a case mounted on instrument board 12 of a motor vehicle and fitted with a dial l3 bearing indicia 14 to indicate various liquid measures such as gallons and fractions thereof. A needle 15 is pivotally mounted at 16 on bracket 17 in operative relation to the said indicia and is provided with an operating arm 18. Attached to arm 18 is a pin 19 mounted on diaphragms 20, the latter being mounted in case 11 and communicating with chamber 4 through a conduit 21.

In operation, liquid fuel flows out of tank 1 through conduit 10 and filter 8 into cham- Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed November 26, 1920. Serial air pressure therein.

. lPatented Mar. 21, 1922.

bend until the air pressure therein offers sufficient resistance to prevent further admission of the liquid. This air pressure var es, ot course, with the varying quantity of liquid in the tank 1. The diaphragms 20 are expanded or contracted. directly by the vary ng air pressure therein, this pressure varying, of course, with that in chamber e expansion or contraction of diaphragms20 operates the needle 15 to indicate the quantity of liquid in tank 1.

he most important feature in the present nvention is the insertion of the liquid pervious element 8 between chamber 4- and conduit 10, and the particular advantages secured by using this element will now be more fully set forth.

If the device is constructed as set forth but without the element 8 it is clear that the movements of the liquid in chamber 4 will correspond to the movements of the liquid in the tank 1, the churning of the liquld in tank 1 exerting rapidly changing pressures upon the air in chamber 4 and consequently, especially upon a rough road, in constant motion. While the needle 15 may be controlled and steadied to .some degree by mechanical means it is, nevertheless, directly effected by the movements of the liquid in tank 1. By inserting element 8 as described the needle is not directly effected by the movements of the liquid in tank 1 and it is not necessary to provide mechanical means for steadying needle 15.

The small body of liquid rising to, say, level 22, is unaffected by sudden and momentary changes of the liquid pressure in conduit 10, and however much it may move about in chamber 4 there is no change in the This element 8, therefore, so controls the flow of liquid into chamber 4 as to effect a change of air pressure therein to correspond with any change in the total quantity of liquid in tank 1 and to prevent any change in air pressure therein due to a momentary shifting of the liquid in tank 1 relative to the conduit 10.

It is obviously desirable that all'of these devices be installed with a given quantity of air therein with the indicia on the dial and the needle operating mechanism arranged to correspond, so that all devices for a given ty e of vehicle will be uniformly accurate. l ithout element 8 the quantity eeping needle 15 of air in any one device would be unknown the moment liquid 18 poured into tank 1.

For instance, if the liquid is poured in fast it will trap the air in conduit 10 and neck 5 and cause it to'become part of the cushion in chamber 4. But if the liquid is poured inslowly the air in conduit 10 will escape. with element 8 in position, and preferably formed as shown, a fixed quantity of air under atmospheric pressure is provided in chamber 4 and any air caught in conduit 10 will bubble out through tank 1 instead of being forced into chamber 4. This action is rendered more positive by impregnating element 8 with a suitable substance soluble in the liquid fuel used, such as vase-line. This retards the passage of the liquid somewhat and causes all trapped air to bubble out through conduit 10. As the liquid works through element 8 it gradually dissolves out all of the soluble substance therein sothat the changing quantity of liquid in tank 1 is readily reflected in the changing quantity of liquid in chamber 4.

It is to be understood of course, that while I have herein shown and described one particular embodiment of my invention,

'means for i dicating changes in form, construction and method of operation may be made within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim 1. A liquid fuel'tank, an air pressure chamber, a conduit communicating with said tank and chamber, air pressure actuated the air pressure in said chamber, and an element normally pervious to 1i uids but impregnated with a substance so uble in the liquid to be used in said tank inserted between said conduit and said chamber.

2. The method of constructing a liquid fuel gauge which consists in assembling a liquid fuel tank, and air pressure chamber, a conduit communicating with said tank and chamber, and an air pressure actuated means for indicating the pressure in said chamber and inserting in element pervious to liquids between said conduit and said chamber, said element having first been impregnated with a substance soluble in the liquid to be used in said tank.

HJALMAR GORANSON, KNOWN AS HENRY JOHNSON. 

